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Aston Villa are keen on signing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, according to The Sunday Mirror (05/06, p72), via Birmingham Mail.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard has already completed four signings for the summer transfer window – Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara – but his recruitment drive shows no signs of stopping.

Indeed, The Athletic's Gregg Evans reported after the capture of Kamara that a left-back is on the agenda for the 42-year-old.

Merlin has been with Nantes since the age of 11 but only made his Ligue 1 debut this season. He would go on to start 21 of his team's top-flight matches, making seven more substitute appearances.

The 20-year-old, who can also operate as a left midfielder, is contracted to Nantes until 2026 and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from The Sunday Mirror (via Birmingham Mail) claimed that Merlin grabbed Gerrard's attention during a Ligue 1 scouting mission a few weeks ago.

The Villa manager travelled to the Stade Velodrome for a match between Marseille and Nantes on 20 April, intending to watch Kamara, but Merlin reportedly impressed him too.

The verdict

Merlin, who has been labelled a 'serious talent' by Jacek Kulig, looks like he could be a strong back-up to Lucas Digne and a potential long-term starter, with Matt Targett's Villa Park future uncertain.

The French youngster ranked in the 86th percentile among full-backs in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions in 2021/22, notching three assists in addition to his two goals (via FBRef). With high volumes of progressive carries and dribbles too, he's clearly very active up and down the left flank.

He may only have played 20 minutes on the night that Gerrard was in attendance, but that speaks to the strength of his cameo against Marseille. Merlin won three of the four duels that he contested, completed two dribbles and was successful with eight of his 10 passes (via SofaScore).

He also shone against Paris Saint-Germain in February, scoring what sports journalist Josh Bunting called an 'incredible' goal, and he looks like an astute replacement for Targett if the latter has played his last game in a Villa shirt.

In other news, Matt Maher lays out his Villa transfer expectations

Manchester City are reportedly set to make an approach to Leeds United over a potential transfer move for Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, City are “expected to formalise their interest” in Phillips once England’s international matches are out of the way and “make an official approach to Leeds later this month.”

As a product of Leeds’ youth system, the 26-year-old has made 234 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions.

In those appearances, the England international, who has a reported price tag of £60m, has found the net 14 times and delivered 13 assists in the process.

With 49 Premier League appearances now under his belt, the midfielder now has a clear idea of what it takes to play in the top flight and how difficult it can be given how Leeds had a rather turbulent recent campaign.

Guardiola needs him

Taking into account how City will be taking on their next campaign without the experience or versatility of Fernandinho in their squad, Pep Guardiola will undeniably need an experienced and capable figure, like Phillips, to come in and fill the void left by the Brazilian.

Having racked up a total of 139 players tackled throughout his two Premier League campaigns with Leeds as well as 103 blocks, 83 interceptions and 89 clearances, Phillips certainly has the defensive chops to be a tough opponent for whoever he comes up against.

This backs up why he was labelled as a “destroyer” by Steve McLaren as well as having his performance in England’s 1-0 win over Croatia in last year’s Euros described as “immense” by Marcus Rashford.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the Manchester club are keen on making an approach to Leeds to see if they would be willing to part ways with their star midfielder.

Having taken Jack Grealish away from his boyhood club, Aston Villa, last summer, the Citizens have shown that they are capable of securing deals for the Premier League’s top talents, which they will presumably be looking to do once again this summer with Phillips.

While it may be hard to get Leeds to sell, the allure of being in the mix to win every competition they play in as well as being able to learn from Guardiola and test himself in Europe could be what sways the midfielder into waving goodbye to Elland Road and joining City.

In other news: Pep can land his next Mahrez as MCFC plot move for “delightful” £58.5m-rated hotshot

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following widespread reports of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s interest in a move for the Inter Milan centre-back this summer, the 23-year-old is understood to be keen to work with the former Nerazzurri coach once again.

Gold went on to suggest that the Serie A club’s pressing need to raise funds in order to complete their own signings could also play into Tottenham’s hands, with a figure of £51m mentioned as the amount that Inter may be seeking in order to part with the Italy international in the coming months.

In response to a question concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Gold said: “There are two sides to this one in that Alessandro Bastoni is understood to be keen to play under Antonio Conte again at some point, but he is happy at the moment at Inter Milan and it’s worth remembering that he only just turned 23 last month so he’s young in terms of his career and uprooting from Italy. For someone like Romero, he had already uprooted from his homeland.

“Spurs’ hope is that Bastoni can bring added quality to the left side of Tottenham’s back three to complement Romero’s strength and quality on the other side. They see him as a potential heir to Jan Vertonghen with a similar skilful style to the Belgian in being a ball-playing defender rather than an aggressive one like Romero. That could potentially make his adaptation to the physical nature of the Premier League slightly more gradual than the Argentine’s and perhaps that is a concern the player also holds.

“The key to whether Tottenham can get this deal done may come down to how much Inter need the money and whether they help push Bastoni towards the door, particularly as he has only two years left on his contract. The Serie A club want to sign players this summer, not least Gleison Bremer from Torino for around £21m, and if they decide that selling Bastoni for more than £51m can fund more deals then they may help influence his decision. Things change quickly in the transfer window.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old is sure to be news that the Spurs faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender highly impressed on the left of Inter’s backline, helping his team to keep eight clean sheets, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

The £122k-per-week left-footer also impressed in a creative and attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 50.5 passes, four long balls and 0.5 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the 11-cap Italy international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top flight.

As such, considering his age, ball-playing talent and ability to play on the left of a back three, it is clear to see that Bastoni would be something of a perfect signing for Paratici to get over the line this summer, especially if the centre-back is available for as little as the £51m fee that Gold has mentioned.

AND in other news – “Am told…”: Dan Kilpatrick reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be fuming

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard could reportedly be eyeing a reunion with Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What’s the word?

Writing in his GIVEMESPORT club guide, the trusted insider hinted that a move to Villa Park could well be on the cards for the Finland international, with a deal ‘possibly’ in the works for a player who worked under the Englishman at Ibrox.

The Midlands side only recently secured the signing of another Kamara – Marseille’s young Frenchman, Boubacar – although it would seem another midfield addition could be in the pipeline, with Jones insisting that he can ‘not totally rule out’ a further acquisition to slot in alongside the recent arrival.

Although Brighton’s Yves Bissouma has been mentioned as one possible incoming, Gerrard’s relationship with the Gers man could well work in his favour, with the Liverpool legend having helped sign the 42-cap gem for just £50k from Dundee back in 2019.

Gerrard’s monster

After a slightly underwhelming end to the 2021-22 campaign, with Villa finishing in just 14th place, the club have already acted quickly to try and improve upon that position, adding three summer signings already despite the transfer window having not yet officially opened.

That speedy business has potentially allowed some breathing room for Gerrard and co to plot their next steps carefully, with the arrival of Kamara from Glasgow potentially a wise move to try and replicate the manager’s success north of the border, prior to his return to the Premier League back in November.

Not just used to the 41-year-old’s style of play, the £30k-per-week maestro is also a player that the Villa boss is clearly fond of, having previously dubbed him a “monster” for his instant impact at the Scottish Premiership outfit.

Also dubbed a “huge talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, the 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength for his current side, the £5.4m-rated ace notably starting in the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The midfielder had helped fire Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men to that stunning showpiece affair, scoring in the second-leg semi-final victory over RB Leipzig as the Scottish side pulled off yet another shock in the competition.

The all-action star seemingly has the quality to affect the game at both ends of the pitch, netting three times and registering three assists in his 31 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign, while also averaging a solid 0.7 interceptions and one tackle per game, as well as enjoying an impressive 91% pass accuracy rate.

With a shortage of options in central midfield at present at Villa Park, particularly with Morgan Sanson potentially set to depart, the arrival of the all-round ace would no doubt provide adequate cover and increase competition for places, with his former boss in need of his monster-like presence to ruffle a few feathers.

It just remains to be seen if NSWE will back their man even further…

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Atletico Madrid full-back Renan Lodi is due to meet with Newcastle United in the coming days to discuss a potential transfer, according to journalist Andre Hernan. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old joined Atletico from Brazilian outfit Athletico Paranaense in a £19.6m deal in 2019, and the contract he signed upon his arrival at the Wanda Metropolitano still has another three years to run.

However, Lodi – who is now valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – only started 13 of Atletico’s 38 La Liga matches this season.

Newcastle signed another left-back in Matt Targett on loan in January and have the option to sign him permanently from Aston Villa. However, Magpies manager Eddie Howe is exploring alternative options, which suggests that he’s not entirely convinced by the 26-year-old.

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The latest

Hernan took to Twitter to explain that Lodi and Newcastle ‘will meet later this week’ and is optimistic that ‘business can happen’.

The Magpies are keen to ‘strengthen’ ahead of an assault on the top half of the table next season, and they view the Brazilian as a potential upgrade on their current left-back options.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has recently said that Atletico will demand around £42m for the 24-year-old.

The verdict

What kind of a full-back is Lodi?

He is certainly someone who can pitch in going forward, as evidenced by his tally of four goals and five assists in just 1,837 minutes of football this season, and his 16 goal contributions for Atletico overall. He also backs himself to run with the ball, ranking in the 75th percentile among positional peers in the big five European leagues for successful dribbles per 90 minutes (via FBRef).

While he may not have had the playing time that he would have liked this season, he has shone on the biggest stages in the past.

For instance, after the first leg of a 2019/20 Champions League round of 16 tie against Liverpool, which Atletico won 1-0, sports journalist Josh Bunting commended a ‘very solid’ display in which Lodi restricted both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah to peripheral roles on the night.

The 15-cap Brazil international faced Manchester United at the same stage of this year’s competition and scored the winning goal in a performance dubbed ‘incredible’ by The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan, while his manager Diego Simeone has praised him as a “hard-working, humble player”.

Therefore, it’s little wonder that Newcastle seemingly want him at St James’ Park ahead of next season.

In other news, this Premier League striker could be tempted to move to St James’ Park 

You go, girls – and hurry up with those international retirements

Alan Gardner16-Feb-2023Hey laydeeeeez. It’s finally time, in the words of the Beastie Boys, to get funky. The people have spoken – or at least 50% of them have – and after a mere few years of respectfully listening to [] their demands, the BCCI has played its benevolent hand and created a Women’s IPL. Female cricketers of the world, rejoice, because the men in suits have decided you’re worth it.The Light Roller has always been a champion of the women’s game – we were fans of Rachael Heyhoe Flintoff before most people had even heard of her – and we’re delighted that the chicks have got what they wanted: money.Sorry, make that equality. But listen, the cash is decent: according to Jay Shah, the WPL is already the “second-highest valued” league in world cricket. And who among us would argue that showering one small area of the sport with bank notes could ever be anything other than beneficial?Related

• Hurray, the PCB is back to being the beloved drama we want to binge

• V Kohlz, B Mac, Boom and Jay Lang win the only cricket trophies of 2022 that matter

• Reactions to the WPL auction – Smriti Mandhana watches herself make history

Anyway, before the wokerati accuse us of peddling paternalistic claptrap, here are a few tips from the top, gleaned from our years of dedicated men’s IPL watching.Club vs country
The WPL is only three weeks long, but these are now the most important three weeks of your life. Do you want to risk missing out with an injury sustained while playing a bilateral series in Sri Lanka in November, just because your country’s selectors want you to? No. Best bring those international retirement plans forward.Franchise life
You’re going to be based throughout the tournament in Mumbai, one of the greatest cities in the world. So what should you do when not on team duty? That’s right, sit in your room and play Xbox. If you need anything from outside – coffee, newspaper, replacement batteries for the halo light used on your Twitch stream – then make sure to send the social-media intern.Fan following
Now that the auction has been concluded, you’ve doubtless felt the love in your mentions. Welcome to the world of #OneFamily #PlayBold #CapitalsUniverse. Your new supporters will cheer for you, pray for you, get tattoos of you… and also send you dog’s abuse on Twitter if you ever have an off day.Brand awareness
You are an empowered girl boss inspiring the next generation of sportswomen, you are a super she-ro who can take down the patriarchy in between net sessions… But you are also a walking billboard whose raison d’etre is to sell more bags of cement. Remember who’s paying the bills, sister.Food and drink
Don’t worry about having to eat curry all of the time, Indian hotels can provide the finest in global cuisine. Just keep an eye on your portion control, because the camera adds several pounds and those uniforms can be a little unflattering.Good luck, and hopefully you won’t get asked if you’re a cheerleader!

****

Speaking of fitness demands in the modern game, the Light Roller was saddened by South Africa’s decision to omit Dane van Niekerk from their T20 World Cup squad due to her inability to run a set distance in an arbitrary time frame. This seems another example of the women getting a raw deal. The sport has barely been professional for ten minutes and already it’s gone all in on body-shaming. If 150 years of men’s cricket has taught us anything, it’s the value of carrying around a bit of extra timber – from WG to Inzy. Surely the ladies deserve a similar “Grace period”? As the famously sturdy doctor didn’t quite say: “They came here to watch me bat and bowl, not you oversee a 2k time trial.”

****

“It’s bigger than the Ashes” has been one of the themes of the build-up to the ongoing instalment of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and in at least one sense that is already being borne out. Controversies that have so far exercised the Aussie press include how unplayable the Nagpur pitch was (Rohit Sharma 120, Axar Patel 84, Ravindra Jadeja 70), dirty tricks over practice facilities, the changing tour itinerary, whether Australia’s players are too pally with the Indians, their own team selection, and just what was Jadeja rubbing on his fingers? Credit to the touring hacks, who have displayed all their years of phoney war experience – but it usually takes them until the fourth or fifth Test of an England series to drop their bundle so comprehensively.

Republic of Ireland fans are basking in Troy Parrott’s heroics in World Cup qualification, with tickets to that event still up for grabs. A hat-trick from Parrott against Hungary has kept Irish eyes smiling, with a play-off berth being secured. Having become a national hero, at least for now, AZ striker Parrott is being billed as “better than Lionel Messi” after rewriting the history books.

• Ireland stunned Portugal & red-carded Ronaldo

  Ireland kept their World Cup dreams alive when stunning Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Parrott was also the saviour there, as he bagged a brace, with some headlines being stolen from Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner saw red for swinging an elbow into Dara O’Shea.

  Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side headed to Hungary knowing that only another win, when collecting a notable scalp, would be enough to keep them in contention for a place at FIFA’s flagship tournament next summer.

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• Fans react to Parrott's hat-trick against Hungary

  They fell behind on two occasions, but battled back to secure the most dramatic of victories. There were just 10 minutes left on the clock when Parrott netted his first of the game and restored parity. He then sparked wild scenes of celebration in the away end when poking home in the 96th minute.

  The Puskas Arena was left stunned, with Ireland achieving what had looked impossible. Parrott, with five goals through his last two appearances, has now reached double figures for his country. He has Irish supporters in dreamland.

  @SpreeCOD posted on social media: “Troy Parrott is better than Messi.” @antooconnell added: “Give Troy Parrott the freedom of Dublin tonight. What a player. Unreal. Ireland we’re still alive and we are so back.” @PhilAndrewPhoto went on to say: “Troy Parrott, 5 goals in two games, take down the Spire and put a 100 foot bronze statue of that man outside the GPO.”

  Parrott has joined Messi in the record books by becoming the first Ireland player to score a hat-trick away from home in a senior international. That means the match ball that he will be taking home holds added significance.

• Parrott enjoying international fairytale with Ireland

  Former Tottenham striker Parrott, who moved to the Netherlands with AZ in 2024, told reporters after his stunning hat-trick in Budapest: “I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but I think tonight, I will never have a better night in my whole life. It is a fairytale. You can't even dream about something like that. I have no words to describe the emotions right now.”

  Ireland boss Hallgrimsson, speaking to RTE, said: “We seemed to be nervous at the beginning, struggling with movements and defending too late and not aggressive enough. We put in everything and threw in three strikers in the end. The guys deserved what happened and congratulations to the Irish nation for having the guys.”

  While making history with his hat-trick, Parrott has become the first player to bag a treble for the Republic of Ireland since all-time leading scorer Robbie Keane in October 2014 – who managed that feat against Gibraltar.

  He is just the fourth Irish player to score two or more goals in back-to-back appearances. Keane is also on that list (from 2013), alongside Jimmy Dunne (1936) and Callum Robinson (2021).

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  2026 World Cup play-offs: Dates for draw & qualification fixtures

  Ireland ended up finishing second in Group F behind Portugal – who booked their tickets to the 2026 World Cup when crushing Armenia 9-1 without suspended captain Ronaldo. The Irish pulled two points clear of Hungary with their last-gasp victory over qualification rivals. They only scored nine goals through six matches, with Parrott contributing significantly to the collective cause.

  The play-offs will feature 12 runners-up from the UEFA section of qualification, along with the four best-placed UEFA Nations League group winners who failed to finish in the top two of their respective groups. The draw to determine play-off paths will take place at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on November 20 – with the matches being held in late March, 2026.

Philadelphia Phillies stars Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper ripped Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Edwin Uceta after a benches-clearing incident in the bottom of the eighth inning of Philadelphia's 9-4 win at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.

Uceta entered the game with one out and two runners on, then proceeded to surrender a two-run double, RBI single and two-run home run before allowing a double to Harper. On the first pitch of the ensuing at-bat, Uceta plunked Castellanos in the back with a 96-MPH sinker.

Castellanos threw his hands up in frustration and yelled out towards Uceta. Harper approached the Rays reliever from second in an effort to confront him before he was waylaid by two Rays. The benches then cleared.

After the game, Castellanos told reporters he could tell that he was about to get hit, judging by Uceta's increasing frustrations on the mound.

"I can't explain it," Castellanos said. "I know that he had pretty good numbers going into that. Just watching him I could see him getting frustrated and digging in I'm like, 'I'm gonna take this pitch here and see if he's around the plate.' "

"And it wasn't anywhere near me."

Castellanos said the Phillies "all got a sense" that Uceta was frustrated because his "ERA shot through the roof."

Uceta entered play with a 0.75 ERA but the mark ballooned to 1.49 after he was charged with three earned runs.

Castellanos then compared Uceta's behavior to that of his two-year-old son.

"You're throwing a baseball over 90 miles an hour and you're frustrated and you're gonna throw at somebody," Castellanos said. "It's like my 2-year-old throwing a fit because I take away his dessert before he's finished."

Harper told reporters that Uceta's actions don't line up with "the game that we play."

"He hit him on purpose," Harper said. "It's not the game that we play. It shouldn't be. Guys throw too hard nowadays. You're getting mad because a guy hits a homer off of you or you blow the lead, walk the guy and come out of the game. What are you going to do? it's just the situation."

"The whole thing just really fired me up, really upset me. Just not something you should accept as Major League Baseball."

The Phillies and Rays play the final game of the three-game series on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Wrexham star James McClean delivered a shock message to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side amid a lack of game time. The winger has dropped a stunning revelation, claiming that his passion for boxing has eclipsed his love for football, and he’s planning to hang up his boots for gloves sooner rather than later.

• When football turned feisty for McClean

  McClean’s tempestuous edge boiled over as tensions flared behind the scenes during Wrexham’s Carabao Cup derby clash against fierce Welsh rivals, Cardiff City. Emotions were running hot at the Racecourse Ground, and after the match, an incident in the players’ car park threatened to turn ugly. A group of Cardiff City fans reportedly breached a restricted area and confronted McClean, forcing him to defend himself. Witnesses claimed that he stood his ground and handled himself well. An internal investigation is now underway into how rival supporters gained access to the secured zone. But for McClean, the encounter only deepened his belief that he might be better suited to a ring than a pitch.

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• AFP
  

  McClean is a fighter at heart

  Over the past year, McClean has been training intensively in boxing. He has been posting workout clips to his Instagram that show sharp jabs and fierce combinations. 

  Speaking in an interview with Westlife star released on Thursday, he said: "I'll be honest, I've really enjoyed it [at Wrexham] up until the last two or three months. It's not been ideal, I've not been playing as much as I'd like, which is never a good thing. You want to be playing and you want to be in the mix. I've never dealt really well with not playing."

  The Republic of Ireland international, who joined Wrexham from Wigan Athletic in August 2023, has helped guide the club to back-to-back promotions. But the step up to the Championship has brought new realities. And it seems to have bruised his pride.

  "Nowadays, I just channel that frustration and annoyance and do my training. Before, I'd throw my toys out of the pram," he said. "Now, I just channel that frustration into the punch bag and it seems to blow off a bit of steam. You kind of feel better for it afterwards."

• Taste of the big stage for McClean

  McClean isn’t just shadowboxing, but he has already dipped his toes into the professional world. On September 5, the Wrexham winger walked out with Michael Conlan for his high-profile bout against Jack Bateson at Dublin’s 3Arena. Now, he confirmed that talks have already taken place about entering the Misfits Boxing circuit. It is an influencer-led crossover promotion that’s given everyone from YouTubers to ex-footballers a shot at the spotlight.

  "I do want to box," he admitted. "Misfits (boxing company) is opening up opportunities for a lot of people who aren't professional boxers to give them the opportunity to step in and experience what it's like to be a boxer. Absolutely, it's something I want to do and there has been background chats about it, but I'm contracted at the moment. It's definitely something I want to do in the near future.

  "A lot of my training now is boxing training. I have a bigger passion now for boxing than I do for football. I would rather watch boxing than watch football. It's something I want to do and it's something I want to experience to tick off my bucket list. I've done the ring walk for Mike Conlan in Dublin. Being on the stage that night and doing the ring walk was unbelievable. I was thinking, imagine doing that, where this is for you and you're going into the ring for a tear up. I get goosebumps."

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  What comes next for McClean?

  McClean was once seen as one of the dressing room’s emotional leaders. But he has now found himself watching from the sidelines more often than not this season as he has made just 10 appearances across all competitions. Wrexham currently sit 14th in the table, comfortably clear of the relegation zone but well off the play-off pace. Their next test is a home tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which will be their final game before the international break.

The October international break hasn’t quite slammed shut, but Liverpool fans are already looking with anticipation toward the return of Premier League action.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions have been well below their best for most of the campaign, demonstrating much tenacity to find late winners across the opening weeks of the campaign but lacking balance and control.

They could only ride this wave for so long, with the tide turning in recent weeks and the Reds falling in successive top-flight outings, defeat in the Champions League at Galatasaray sandwiched in between.

Many high-profile signings have been made, but Liverpool need to rediscover their swagger and style. With names like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak added to the fold, welcoming another forward seems ludicrous, but it might be the answer to the Anfield side’s troubles in the long run.

Liverpool need another forward

Sporting director Richard Hughes and the senior figures at Liverpool remain confident that it will all come together. For Liverpool not to return to top-class form at some stage seems ludicrous, given the existing squad’s pedigree, the money spent this summer, and the calibre of signings brought in.

But Mohamed Salah’s form has been one of the big negative talking points this term. The 33-year-old has less than two years remaining on his £400k-per-week deal, and it’s well-known that Liverpool must spend big to secure a replacement.

According to Caught Offside, Hughes has already compiled a list of names he’s eager to pursue as Salah enters the final stretch of his Premier League career, and though talks were held in recent months for Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Bournemouth sensation Antoine Semenyo is being considered, it is Bayern Munich star Michael Olise who must be signed.

The France international is very much on Liverpool’s shortlist, with previous reports this month claiming the Merseysiders are even preparing an offer for the £86m-rated winger.

The 23-year-old joined Bayern from Crystal Palace for £50m in 2024, but Liverpool feel a deal could be struck given their good relationship with the Bundesliga champions.

What Michael Olise would bring to Liverpool

Olise thrived at Crystal Palace, joining from Reading and helping lift them toward their modern peak. Under Oliver Glasner, the Eagles are flying, and the French winger was crucial in getting the system up and running.

But his move to Germany has placed his name on the world atlas.

Last season was one of great success for Olise and his outfit, and he’s carried that form into the new campaign and fashioned something even greater, having notched five goals and six assists from just ten matches in all competitions.

There’s a sense that the best is still to come, and it’s for this reason Liverpool must chase his signature over Semenyo’s, as talented and dangerous as the Bournemouth star may be.

Comparing the two, we can see that Olise is the more clinical player and also the more explosive – though if Semenyo maintains his 2025/26 form across the duration of the year, that one may edge considerably closer.

Semenyo is likely a bit more physical and active throughout the different phases of play, but Salah’s success over the past nine years would tell you that a pick-and-choose approach bears just as many dividends, if not more. And it’s not as if Olise isn’t one of the silkiest and most fleet-footed wingers in the game.

Disregarding the players’ clinical starts to the campaign, their underlying metrics are evidence of their elite athleticism, with Sofascore also showing Olise has created 1.8 chances and won 4.3 duels per game in the German top flight this season, completing 83% of his passes.

Liverpool did manage to bag all three points in a frenzied match against Bournemouth on the opening day of the season, but Semenyo was electric throughout, bagging two special goals.

Make no mistake, Liverpool would not fumble if they were to sign the Ghana international next summer, but Olise is simply a level higher, with podcaster Henry Swain even describing him as “one of the best wingers in the world”.

Moreover, he’s younger than Semenyo, almost two years his junior, and has not yet been modelled into the final shape that could place him in conversations not too dissimilar to those which have followed Salah throughout his Liverpool journey.

The Cherries star, 25, has been in inspired form at the start of the season, it must be said. He has scored six goals and assisted three more in the Premier League this season, and Salah has paled in comparison on Liverpool’s right flank.

Both Olise and Semenyo would fall into similar financial ballparks, and so Liverpool must simply pick which player they believe stands a better chance of replacing the Egyptian King effectively, across many years.

We know he can do it in the Premier League, and the rise in prolific quality since moving to the Allianz Arena has been exciting to witness. Olise is the real deal and would be the perfect profile to ease Salah’s departure when that fateful day comes.

For now, he will continue to develop and improve in the Bundesliga, but it’s hard to imagine Olise being anything other than a triumph if he returned to the Premier League and took a place on Liverpool’s right wing.

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By
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